Harper joins Michaëlle Jean in final push for Francophonie post

Jean, who was Canada’s first black governor general, will look to set a new first as the only woman to have led the 57-member Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). She heads to Senegal with three easy votes in her pocket — Canada, but also the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, which are members in their own right.

When former Prime Minister Paul Martin picked Jean to be Canada’s governor general back in 2005, he said that Jean’s life story was a reminder of “what is best about ourselves and about Canada”, referring to her as the shining example of the success of Canada’s multiculturalism and social inclusion. Now, the provincial and federal governments hope to capitalize on the same assets to get her elected and elevate Canada’s standing among Francophone countries, a large majority of them being on the African continent.

“Canada is trying to shine”, says Jean Louis Roy, a Montreal-based historian and former secretary general of the OIF’s precursor, the Agence intergouvernnementale de la Francophonie, between 1990 and 1998. Being Canadian, a woman and coming from Haiti, Jean’s election would “say something about Canada’s multiculturalism,” Roy said.

Last month, Jean told a Globe and Mail reporter that Prime Minister Harper had assured her of his government’s support, saying that she was “perfect for the job.” Since then, Christian Paradis, Canada’s minister responsible for la Francophonie, has campaigned with Jean both in Ottawa and in New York.

“The government has put at her disposal all the resources she needs and it believes she can win,” Roy noted.

Canada’s ambassador to France, Lawrence Cannon, has hosted numerous receptions in honour of Jean. Meanwhile, Quebec’s minister of international relations and la Francophonie, Christine St-Pierre, campaigned for Jean in Quebec, Montreal and Paris over the past several months.

St-Pierre recently told Jeune Afrique magazine that Jean’s bid was exceptional because “it sends a powerful message to francophone women that it is time for equality between men and women to be part of francophone landscape”.

The work appears to have paid off. A month before the summit, France publicly sided with the Canadian bid. On his recent visit to Ottawa, French President François Hollande said that his country wishes for “la Francophonie that is cultural but also fosters economic growth.”

The French vision is in perfect agreement with Jean’s priorities if she becomes the next Secretary general of the organization, he said.

“Jean can safely count on the votes of Canada, New Brunswick, Québec, France and of course her native Haiti” Roy said.

Given the resources and diplomatic efforts that Canada put into the bid — Jean has been campaigning since 2012 — observers say that her chances are good. But it’s not a done deal yet, since Jean still has to convince African leaders, who make up the majority of la Francophonie, that she will represent their interests and not serve as a puppet of the more powerful member states. She is also one among five other candidates, including former Burundian president Pierre Buyoya and Mauritian Jean-Claude de l’Estrac, who are both seen as serious contenders.

Paradis’s office said in an e-mail that alongside Jean’s candidacy, the Canadian government will be advocating and pushing for the Summit to adopt an economic strategy for the Francophonie. Details of the strategy are yet to emerge but Paradis said that it centres on reducing poverty, growing new markets and facilitating business opportunities for Francophone entrepreneurs.

The Dakar summit, where the election of the new secretary general will take place, runs Saturday and Sunday.

1 comment on “Harper joins Michaëlle Jean in final push for Francophonie post”